Authorities in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau are working with government agencies to provide financial assistance to farmers who suffered losses after the recent mass death of farm-raised fish in Long Son Commune.

At a meeting with the farmers on Thursday, Tran Van Cuong, deputy director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), said the province was estimating the individual losses before announcing details of support.

Cuong added that the province would help farmers extend their loan payment terms at banks.

Early last week, many fish raised in cages in the Cha Va River in Long Son Commune began dying.

On Oct 10 and 11, more than 254 tonnes of farm-raised fish, which were about to be harvested, died, causing losses of more than VNĐ29 billion (US$1.3 million).

Local authorities said that the fish died because of a lack of oxygen caused by torrential rains in addition to the high density of cages.

However, farmers in Long Son Commune disagreed. Most of them said the cause was due to waste water discharged by seafood processing factories into the Cha Va River in Tan Hai Commune in Tan Thanh District.

“The conclusion reached on the cause was not reasonable,” said Nguyen Cong Bien of Long Son Commune. “There was not much rainfall over Oct 10 and 11. After hearing the announcement about the causes, some people disagreed, while others went home without any positive responses.”

Biên, who raised 200 cages of fish, suffered a loss of VNĐ600-700 million (US$26,880-31,360).

To address the strong reactions of farmers, the provincial DARD held a meeting with agencies on Thursday

“This is just a subjective opinion of farmers. We have classified the opinions. Any farmer not satisfied with the conclusion, we will inform them in written form sent to their houses, ” said the deputy director of the department.

In response to the farmers’ request to build a dam to separate the factories’ discharging area from fresh water areas used to raise fish, Cuoờng said that authorities had planned to do it, but “it had been delayed due to financial difficulties”.

“As for the policy to support farmers affected by natural disasters, the province is studying the losses of each farmer before announcing the details of support for them,” Cuong told the media.

Regarding a similar case in the commune last year, 33 lawsuits were filed by farmers against 14 seafood processing factories in Tan Hai Commune.

The companies had discharged wastewater directly into the environment, causing a loss of VNĐ18 billion ($800,000).

Farmers and companies are still negotiating their compensation amounts, according to Cuong.

Of the total 14, three companies had agreed to pay, but 11 of the businesses have yet to respond.

If the concerned parties cannot resolve the dispute soon, the Vung Tu City People’s Court will bring the case to trial, according to local authorities.

Last week farmers in Long Son Commune affected by the mass deaths protested by dumping their dead fish on a section of National Highway 51 that cuts through Long Son Commune.

The farmers said they dumped the fish to show their opposition to the nearby seafood processing factories.

The incident caused traffic jams on National Highway was blocked, especially for those travelling between HCM City and Vung Tau. 

VNS